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26 September 2013
President’s new house more hospitable
Jeremey Vreeken Staff Writer
Dordt students have many places on campus to get together, share meals and hang out. The newest one on the list: the president’s house. Early last fall, renovation began on both the president’s house and the alumni house, which are located across the road behind the classroom building. Dordt has owned the two houses for nearly 15 years, but neither had been renovated until last fall. When former President Carl Zylstra retired and the search committee began looking for a new president, hospitality was very much on their minds. Dordt needed a facility that could accommodate new presidents for years to come, as well as campus guests and visitors. When President Erik Hoekstra was chosen, the college decided that it was time for the houses to be remodeled.
“The [president’s] house wasn’t remodeled around the Hoekstra family,” President Erik Hoekstra said. “It was built with all future presidents and their families in mind.” Since neither the alumni house nor the president’s house had been renovated in the last 15 years, they needed to be improved in order to better serve the campus. Now, the alumni house has five individual bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a large common room and a shared kitchen. The new facility houses campus speakers and special guests and is also available for rent. One of the biggest changes to the president’s house was the addition of a large banquet room. The room is equipped with a serving kitchen and all the necessary equipment for catering events. Catering is provided by Creative Dining Services, who also run the Commons and Defender Grille. The
Workstudy wage raised 25 cents Lauren Bird Staff Writer This fall, the pay rate for workstudy students at Dordt College was raised from $7.25 to $7.50 an hour. A group of main administrative staff, including the provost, vice president of enrollment, and vice president of student services at Dordt, received a recommendation to raise the rate, and they felt this was necessary. Arlan Nederhoff, vice president of business affairs, was part of the process. “The rate has been minimum wage for a long time,” said Nederhoff, “There has been discussion on the national level to raise minimum wage, and so we want to start making steps now.” Making steps now will ensure that there isn’t as drastic a change in the rate if it goes up more in the future,
Nederhoff said. There has already been talk of raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour in California, so the panel at Dordt wants to be on their toes, preparing for any future changes to the current rate. Dordt’s workstudy rate is somewhat low compared to some other colleges. For example, Penn State has a rate of $8.50 an hour and Texas Southern University pays anywhere between $8 and $10 to their work-study students. Other colleges give awards at the beginning of the year to students who apply to workstudy programs. However, Nederhoff believes that Dordt’s program has more to offer, which makes up for the slightly lower rate. “We also look at the convenience of working on campus,” said Nederhoff.
Issue 2
The newly renovated President’s House features five indi- Photo by Andrew Deelstra vididual bedrooms with attached bathrooms banquet room was built Scholars Program and The campus commuto host campus guests, the entire residence life nity has long been an special events and even staff. President Hoekstra important part of Dordt Dordt students. hopes to be able to host College, and Dordt’s “Every freshman as many students as pospresidents have all lived this year will eat at the sible at the house over on or very nearby camhouse,” said Hoekstra. this year and the years to pus. The first two presiPairs of Core 100 come. dents lived in what is classes will take turns “It’s important for us now the nursing building being guests in the banto live so close to cambetween North and West quet hall. Other student pus,” Hoekstra comhalls; this renovation groups have already been mented. “It helps us enwas a logical next step hosted there, such as gage with students and in that tradition. members of the Kuyper be a part of campus life.”
Sarena de Jong answers the phone at the Information Photo by Andrew Deelstra Desk “We’re flexible about workthem and their future career. Arielle Johnston, a sophoing around students’ schedWe want them to pick a job more involved in the workules, unlike most employers they like and that they will study program, appreciates off campus.” value.” the raise. This pay rate change afThis theory seems to have “It’s not a significant fected all workstudy posiworked at Dordt. Workstudy change, but it is more money tions on campus. students received an email and every bit counts. It adds at the beginning of the seup after a while, and even a We don’t want people to mester about the increased few bucks can pay for books take jobs based on the dolsalary, but many students or something,” said Johnlar amount,” said Nederhoff. didn’t pay much attention to ston. “We want them to fill posiit since it is only by 25 cents. tions that are most helpful to